World Famous Gangsters

From the Mafia in New York, to the drug cartels of Columbia, the men who run crime's biggest corporations live outside the law in a world ruled by greed and force. This book provides a true account of the world's most notorious gangsters, from the Kray Twins in East London to the Sicilian dons who even helped the Allies defeat Germany.

*Includes pictures of Lucky and other important people in his life. *Explains Lucky's relationships with other notorious gangsters of his era, including Gambino, Genovese, and Bugsy Siegel. *Includes some of Lucky's most colorful quotes and newspaper articles reporting his most famous hits. *Explains the connection between Lucky Luciano and Mario Puzo's The Godfather. *Includes a Bibliography for further reading. "He was born and died in Italy, yet the influence on America of a grubby street urchin named Salvatore Lucania ranged from the lights of Broadway to every level of law enforcement, from national politics to the world economy. First, he reinvented himself as Charles ("Lucky") Luciano. Then he reinvented the Mafia. His story was Horatio Alger with a gun, an ice pick and a dark vision of Big Business." - Edna Buchanan, Time Magazine The Mafia has long fascinated Americans, who have made celebrated pop culture fixtures out of men like Al Capone and turned movies and television series like The Godfather and The Sopranos into American institutions despite the violence associated with organized crime. Of all the notorious mobsters of the 20th century, the one most instrumental in putting the organization into organized crime and thus establishing the Mafia as it's recognized today was Lucky Luciano. The man who would become the Father of Organized Crime in the United States was born Salvatore Lucania in Sicily, but he would quickly make a name for himself after his family moved to New York City when he was still a child. By his teenage years, he was running the streets, organizing his own teenage gang, and moving in circles with the likes of Meyer Lansky, who would become key figures in Lucky's rise to power. Like so many young adults of his time, Lucky's participation in the criminal underworld began in earnest during Prohibition, and he was ambitious from the beginning. Lucky networked with other young mobsters, all of whom became known as the Young Turks, and when Lucky eliminated bosses Giuseppe Masseria and Salvatore Maranzano in 1931, he had reached the top of organized crime in New York. From the top, Luciano would implement the organizations and mob rackets that are so familiar to Americans today. In addition to having the New York scene divided into the Five Families, Luciano established The Commission to discuss and govern organized crime across the country, and dipped his toes into every conceivable racket, including gambling, bookmaking, loan-sharking, drug trafficking, unions, labor, construction and extortion. Eventually Lucky would run out of luck. After being arrested dozens of times over a 20 year period, Luciano was imprisoned in the mid-'30s, and a decade later he would be deported back to Italy. Nevertheless, Lucky continued to try to fight for control of organized crime in New York from his jail cell, Italy, and Cuba, staying in the game until the very end. American Gangsters: The Life and Legacy of Lucky Luciano looks at the life and crime of the mob boss, his influence on organized crime, and his legacy. Along with pictures of Luciano and important people, places, and events in his life, you will learn about the father of organized crime like you never have before, in no time at all.

Most of us have been told by our parents that it never pays to walk on the wrong side of the law. Crime never pays. This is a saying we have heard millions of times, threatening us that we should always be law-abiding citizens of the world. But if you look at the net worth and the lavish lifestyles of some of the crime bosses and the gang leaders, you will probably get to thinking whether all of this is actually true. It is true that most of them spent their lives hiding from the law. It is also probably true that their end was probably a violent one. But it is also true that all of them spent a life of luxury in huge mansions while owning properties, airplanes, and everything that a successful businessman may be enjoying. In case you are not convinced, here is a list of the 10 richest gangsters the world has ever seen. You will be surprised to know about the kind of life they actually lived.

*Explains the legends and separates fact from fiction regarding Capone's most famous hits, including the St. Valentine's Day Massacre. *Includes pictures of Capone and important people, places, and events in his life. On February 14, 1929, members of Bugs Moran's North Side gang arrived at a warehouse on North Clark Street in Chicago, only to be approached by several police officers. The officers then marched them outside up against a wall, pulled out submachine guns and shotguns, and gunned them all down on the spot. A famous legend is that one of the shot men, Frank Gusenberg, dying from 14 gunshot wounds, told police that nobody shot him. Though Gusenberg's statement is probably apocryphal, nobody opened their mouths. Nobody was ever convicted for the "Saint Valentine's Day Massacre," the most famous gangland hit in American history, but it's an open secret that it was the work of America's most famous gangster, Al Capone. Indeed, "Scarface" has captured the nation's popular imagination since Prohibition, managing to be the most notorious gangster in America while living a very visible and high profile life in Chicago. Born a Brooklyn tough, Capone engaged in a life of crime even as a teenager and had come to Chicago as a young man to smuggle liquor during Prohibition. Allying himself with Johnny Torrio, Capone began to accumulate power almost as quickly as he accumulated a reputation for being merciless, and after an attempted hit severely injured Torrio, the gang's operations were turned over to Capone. Despite his organized crime spree during the '20s, Capone was a popular figure in Chicago, viewed by many as a Robin Hood because he took pains to make charitable donations to the city. At the same time, he bribed government officials and cops, ensuring they looked the other way despite his violent ways of doing business. Throughout the decade, Capone was often out in public, despite several attempts on his life, and the gang war between Al Capone and Bugs Moran was well known and even celebrated to an extent. In the end, it wasn't the bodies or the violence that landed Capone in the slammer; it was taxes. After being convicted, Capone managed to continue running his business rackets from behind bars, forcing authorities to move America's most notorious gangster to America's most notorious prison on Alcatraz Island. Capone and Alcatraz only added to each other's lore. Capone died in 1947, but his life and legacy continue to be the stuff of legends. Even to this day, Chicago's gangster past is viewed as part of the city's lore, and tours of the most famous spots in Chicago's gang history are available across the city. American Gansters: The Life and Legacy of Al Capone looks at the life and crime of Scarface, and the manner in which he has become and remain a staple of American pop culture. Along with pictures of Capone and important people, places, and events in his life, you will learn about America's most infamous gangster like you never have before, in no time at all.

*Explains the legends and separates fact from fiction regarding Capone's most famous hits, including the St. Valentine's Day Massacre. *Includes pictures of Capone and important people, places, and events in his life. On February 14, 1929, members of Bugs Moran's North Side gang arrived at a warehouse on North Clark Street in Chicago, only to be approached by several police officers. The officers then marched them outside up against a wall, pulled out submachine guns and shotguns, and gunned them all down on the spot. A famous legend is that one of the shot men, Frank Gusenberg, dying from 14 gunshot wounds, told police that nobody shot him. Though Gusenberg's statement is probably apocryphal, nobody opened their mouths. Nobody was ever convicted for the "Saint Valentine's Day Massacre," the most famous gangland hit in American history, but it's an open secret that it was the work of America's most famous gangster, Al Capone. Indeed, "Scarface" has captured the nation's popular imagination since Prohibition, managing to be the most notorious gangster in America while living a very visible and high profile life in Chicago. Born a Brooklyn tough, Capone engaged in a life of crime even as a teenager and had come to Chicago as a young man to smuggle liquor during Prohibition. Allying himself with Johnny Torrio, Capone began to accumulate power almost as quickly as he accumulated a reputation for being merciless, and after an attempted hit severely injured Torrio, the gang's operations were turned over to Capone. Despite his organized crime spree during the '20s, Capone was a popular figure in Chicago, viewed by many as a Robin Hood because he took pains to make charitable donations to the city. At the same time, he bribed government officials and cops, ensuring they looked the other way despite his violent ways of doing business. Throughout the decade, Capone was often out in public, despite several attempts on his life, and the gang war between Al Capone and Bugs Moran was well known and even celebrated to an extent. In the end, it wasn't the bodies or the violence that landed Capone in the slammer; it was taxes. After being convicted, Capone managed to continue running his business rackets from behind bars, forcing authorities to move America's most notorious gangster to America's most notorious prison on Alcatraz Island. Capone and Alcatraz only added to each other's lore. Capone died in 1947, but his life and legacy continue to be the stuff of legends. Even to this day, Chicago's gangster past is viewed as part of the city's lore, and tours of the most famous spots in Chicago's gang history are available across the city. American Gansters: The Life and Legacy of Al Capone looks at the life and crime of Scarface, and the manner in which he has become and remain a staple of American pop culture. Along with pictures of Capone and important people, places, and events in his life, you will learn about America's most infamous gangster like you never have before, in no time at all.

Uncover the stories of the world's most notorious gangsters, drug lords, and criminals. From Columbia and Mexico to even America's own soil, criminals have always lurked behind the scenes - some more successful than others. Now, this biography delves into the lives and careers of some of history's drug lords, from Pablo Escobar's empire to the legend of Al Capone. Inside, you'll find some of history's most infamous crime lords, including: Al Capone, the crime boss during prohibition who earned the name "Scarface" El Chapo, a man once considered to be the most powerful drug trafficker in the world Jesse James, the notorious American outlaw and train robber Whitey Bulger, crime-boss turned FBI informant John Gotti, who became the boss of the Gambino crime family And Pablo Escobar, the Columbian drug lord and wealthiest criminal in the world Each of these men have a story rich with conspiracy, crime, and murder. From drug trafficking, racketeering, and even robbing trains, the world of the criminal underground continues to fascinate and unnerve those with a morbid curiosity. This bundle is a must-read for anyone interested in the incredible - and infamous - stories of the world's most notorious crime lords.

The world of gangsters is big business and stretches way beyond the Sicilian Mafia who have been most often depicted on the silver screen in films such as the 'Godfather' trilogy and 'Scarface'. The book is arranged in chapters geographically showing the history of organized crime in different territories around the world, the legendary figures, the famous heists and busts and the power these organizations still exert today. As many of the crime syndicates are interlinked in their day-to-day dealings, or have origins in other organizations, the book is fully cross-referenced to help the reader. Chapters include The Sicilian Mafia and its development in coast-to-coast America under the guidance of the likes of Al Capone and ‘Bugsy’ Siegel; the gangsters of Marseilles and Paris; the Russian and other Eastern Bloc Mafia; the Triads of Asia; The Jamaican Yardies; the African/American crimelords that control the poorer areas of Los Angeles and New York; and the legendary London gangsters, typified by the Kray twins’ stranglehold on London during the 1960s.

"Describes reports of encounters with the ghosts of several deceased entertainers and celebrities"--Provided by publisher.